“Now, I’m a Southern Baptist, but I’m not a big fan of ecumenism,” Allen said. He went on to offer a metaphor in which three pigs, representing Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, and Episcopalianism, dance in a circle. Off to the side is found a Baptist pig “with a frown on his face and his arms folded, and he’s lying over there under the tree.”
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“So he’s not very interested in ecumenical fervor. And I have to admit, I’m a bit like that pig. I’m a little careful, a little skittish about too much ecumenism,” Allen said.
“And I think the Nicene Creed, while generally is a very good creed and it’s certainly been accepted by many traditions,” Allen added, “there are still a couple issues of wording in that creed that could be interpreted to foment or to produce doctrines or concepts of doctrines that we as Baptists would reject.”
In an email to ChurchLeaders, Allen said that he was referring to the phrase “one baptism for the remission of sins.”
“Though the language is directly from Scripture in Acts, the language was interpreted by many among the Church Fathers and by many today who use the creed to mean baptismal regeneration. Baptists would reject such an interpretation,” Allen said. “If that language is interpreted to mean that we are baptized ‘because of’ the forgiveness of sins, which is the meaning in the Greek New Testament I might add, then there is no problem with the statement.”
“The Nicene Creed is otherwise a strong Trinitarian document affirming the biblical doctrine of the Trinity,” he added. “Baptists can wholeheartedly endorse it when properly interpreted.” Allen said that he would not oppose the addition of the Nicene Creed to the BFM “with proper clarification.”
During the SBC presidential election, Allen advanced to a run-off vote after no candidate received a majority vote but was eliminated before a second run-off vote was taken. North Carolina Pastor Clint Pressley was eventually elected as the new SBC president.
None of the three motions to add the Nicene Creed to the BFM were brought to a vote. Two were referred to the SBC’s Executive Committee for evaluation over the coming year, and the third was ruled out of order for being presented in the nature of a resolution.
This article has been updated to include comments from Dr. David Allen.
, another debate emerged, revealing mixed feelings among the denomination’s ranks about the Nicene Creed. ){kind=link}